Latest news with #LeilaMohammadi
New York Post
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Weed increases risk of major health issue — even without smoking: ‘Boy does it screw up the public health messaging'
Your best bud might be breaking your heart. Though many Americans believe daily marijuana use is safer than tobacco, a new study suggests it could increase your risk for some serious cardiovascular issues. Worse yet, gummies, teas and tinctures appear to offer no advantage over lighting up when it comes to one critical factor for your heart health. Advertisement 4 More Americans are using marijuana regularly than ever before. bukhta79 – High stakes for your heart The study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco involved 55 outwardly healthy Bay Area residents who regularly smoked marijuana or consumed THC edibles. None of the participants used nicotine, and all of them consumed cannabis at least three times a week for a year or more. Smokers averaged 10 years of chronic use; edible users, five. Advertisement Researchers found blood vessel function in regular cannabis users was about half that of non-users — putting them on par with tobacco smokers. 'We found that vascular function was reduced by 42% in marijuana smokers and by 56% in THC-edible users compared to nonusers,' Dr. Leila Mohammadi, lead author of the study, told CNN. That surprised co-author Dr. Matthew Springer. Groups like the American Heart Association had previously suggested edibles might be less harmful to the heart. 'When I first saw the THC result, I said to Leila, 'Scientifically, this THC result is really interesting but boy does it screw up the public health messaging,'' he told SFGATE. Advertisement 4 Studies suggest that smoked marijuana is the most commonly used form. Impact Photography – Notably, researchers found that only marijuana smokers had harmful changes in their blood serum that negatively affected their endothelial cells. These cells line the inside of blood and lymph vessels and help regulate blood flow. Advertisement Springer said this could mean smoking marijuana delivers a 'double whammy' of damage to heart health. The researchers emphasized that while their study indicates a strong association between chronic marijuana or THC use and vascular damage, it doesn't definitively prove the link. Still, it adds to mounting evidence that chronic cannabis use could be bad news for the heart. A 2024 study found daily marijuana use increase heart attack risk by 25% and stroke risk by 42%. 4 Chronic marijuana use may increase your risk of cardiovascular problems. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – 'The public (and the medical field) should view cannabis and THC itself as products that are not without health risks,' Springer told Newsweek. 'THC seems to have some beneficial effects also, so there needs to be a balance between risk and benefit that is best decided with both eyes open,' he added. Research suggests that marijuana has the potential to ease chronic pain and reduce muscle spasms and stiffness linked to MS. Advertisement Cannabis products have also been shown to boost appetite in HIV/AIDS and cancer patients, and combat chemo-related nausea. Other potential benefits include easing stress, alleviating PTSD symptoms and aiding sleep in some people. 4 Research suggests that marijuana may help alleviate symptoms linked to several chronic health conditions. contentdealer – Springer and Mohammadi are calling for longer, larger studies to pun down exactly how marijuana and THC affect heart health — and to find out if there's a safe level of use. Advertisement The study comes as more Americans are using marijuana regularly than ever before. While alcohol is still more widely used overall, heavy marijuana use beat out heavy drinking for the first time in 2022, according to Carnegie Mellon researchers. That year, about 17.7 million Americans used cannabis daily or near-daily — compared to 14.7 million who drank that often. It marks a staggering 15-fold jump in chronic cannabis use since 1992. Advertisement Marijuana remains illegal federally, but 38 states and DC have legalized it for medical use. Of those, 24 states and DC have also cleared the way for adults 21 and over to use it recreationally. The recent legalization efforts have sparked a boom in cannabis use. In 2024, 47% of Americans said they'd tried marijuana at least once — up from 34% in 1999, according to Gallup polling.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Marijuana Users Issued Warning by New Study
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New research finds that regular marijuana use, including both smoking and THC-laced edibles, is linked to early warning signs of cardiovascular disease. Why It Matters The growing legalization and widespread use of marijuana in the United States has sparked concerns about short- and long-term potential health impacts. New studies such as this indicate a measurable risk of cardiovascular problems for young and otherwise healthy marijuana users, suggesting that marijuana use could have dubious health outcomes. What To Know The study, led by Leila Mohammadi at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and published in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA, examined the potential connection between THC smoking and ingestion, and endothelial dysfunction—where the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, is unable to function properly and could lead to an array of cardiovascular problems, per The Cleveland Clinic. This cross-sectional study of 55 participants discovered that vascular endothelial function was impaired in both chronic marijuana smokers and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) edible users, whereas serum from marijuana smokers but not THC-edible users blunted nitric oxide production in cultured endothelial cells. Employees inspect cannabis plants at cannabis grower Hollandse Hoogtes, where regulated cannabis cultivation takes place in a grow center, in Bemmel, Netherlands, on April 1, 2025. Employees inspect cannabis plants at cannabis grower Hollandse Hoogtes, where regulated cannabis cultivation takes place in a grow center, in Bemmel, Netherlands, on April 1, 2025. SEM VAN DER WAL/ANP/AFP via Getty Images These studies highlighted impaired blood vessel function and a higher likelihood of heart attacks among marijuana users, echoing risks previously associated with tobacco smoking but "via different mechanisms." Such findings could challenge previous assumptions that marijuana is a benign alternative to tobacco. Early Cardiovascular Signs Detected The study divided the participants into three groups: marijuana smokers, THC-edible users, and nonusers. Researchers observed that marijuana smokers showed a 42 percent reduction in vascular function, while THC-edible users experienced a 56 percent reduction compared to those who did not use marijuana. Comparable to Tobacco in Vascular Impact Endothelial cells, which line blood vessels and regulate blood flow, were found to release significantly less nitric oxide—a chemical vital for dilation—in marijuana and THC-edible users. Heart Attack, Stroke and Death Risks A retrospective analysis of over 4.6 million people under age 50, published in March in JACC Advances, revealed that marijuana users faced a more than sixfold increased risk of heart attack, a fourfold risk of ischemic stroke, and a threefold risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, or stroke, compared to non-users. Meta-Analysis Confirms Higher Heart Attack Risk A meta-analysis presented to the American College of Cardiology pooled data from 12 studies involving 75 million people. The association between marijuana use and heart attack was positive, with current users being 1.5 times more likely to suffer a heart attack than nonusers, according to SciTechDaily. Associations, Not Direct Causes Scientists cautioned that these findings show strong associations but do not definitively prove marijuana or THC causes vascular damage or heart attacks. Dr. Springer said, "We can only state that the cannabis users have poor vascular function, not that cannabis use causes poor vascular function." Confounding factors like concurrent use of other drugs were not ruled out in these studies. Based on these results, researchers urged clinicians to ask patients about marijuana use during cardiovascular risk assessments. Dr. Ibrahim Kamel, lead author of the retrospective study, said, "At a policy level, a fair warning should be made so that the people who are consuming cannabis know that there are risks," according to SciTechDaily on March 18. What People Are Saying Matthew Springer, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and one of the co-authors, told CNN: "We're looking at a window in the future, showing the early changes that may explain why smoking marijuana has been linked to later heart disease." Dr. Ibrahim Kamel, clinical instructor at Boston University and internal medicine resident at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, told SciTechDaily in March: "Asking about cannabis use should be part of clinicians' workup to understand patients' overall cardiovascular risk, similar to asking about smoking cigarettes...a fair warning should be made so that the people who are consuming cannabis know that there are risks." Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, told CNN: "Could it be that other forms of marijuana — teas, tinctures, edibles — are perhaps not as benign as we once thought?" What Happens Next Researchers have called for larger, long-term studies to more conclusively determine the direct effects of marijuana and THC products on cardiovascular health and to identify safe usage levels, if any. Future policy guidance and clinical recommendations may be updated in light of further research outcomes.
CNN
5 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Marijuana edibles and joints may cause early heart damage, study finds
Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being. Healthy people who regularly smoked marijuana or consumed THC-laced edibles showed signs of early cardiovascular disease similar to tobacco smokers, a new small study found. 'To my knowledge, it's the first study looking at THC's impact on vascular function in humans,' said senior study author Matthew Springer, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. 'We're looking at a window in the future, showing the early changes that may explain why smoking marijuana has been linked to later heart disease,' Springer said. 'It appears the act of smoking and the THC itself both contribute to those changes in different ways.' Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the component of marijuana that provides a high. Prior research on mice found damage to blood vessels that supply oxygen to vital organs after exposure to marijuana smoke, Springer said. Whether marijuana smoke would impact the human vascular system, however, was unknown. 'We found that vascular function was reduced by 42% in marijuana smokers and by 56% in THC-edible users compared to nonusers,' lead study author Dr. Leila Mohammadi, an assistant researcher in cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco, said in an email. The research only shows an association, Springer said. 'We can only state that the cannabis users have poor vascular function, not that cannabis use causes poor vascular function,' he said via email. The findings on THC-laced edibles was surprising, said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver. 'Could it be that other forms of marijuana — teas, tinctures, edibles — are perhaps not as benign as we once thought?' said Freeman, who was not involved in the study. 'We need larger studies to make a better conclusion about this finding.' A single layer of endothelial cells lines all of the body's blood vessels. When functioning properly, these specialized cells release chemicals such as nitric oxide that control the relaxing and contracting of the canal, thus regulating blood flow. Healthy endothelium cells also play a role in local cell growth and help prevent blood clotting. When endothelial cells are inflamed, plaque buildup can increase in arteries over time, potentially causing heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. Damage to small blood vessels can also cause kidney and lung disease, comas, delirium, and dementia. The study, however, did not measure plaque, so the findings do not mean that blood vessels were currently blocked, Springer said. 'The vessels just don't grow in diameter in real time when they need to pass more blood, indicating an unhealthy vessel wall that presages later cardiovascular disease,' he said. Prior studies have found strong links between marijuana use and later cardiovascular disease. A February 2024 study found smoking, vaping or eating marijuana led to a significantly higher risk of heart attack and stroke, even if a person had no existing heart conditions and did not smoke or vape tobacco. Stroke risk rose 42% and the risk of heart attack rose 25% if cannabis was used daily, and risk climbed as the number of days of use of marijuana rose, the study found. Using marijuana every day can raise a person's risk of coronary artery disease by one-third compared with those who never partake, a February 2023 study found. The American Heart Association advises people to refrain from smoking or vaping any substance, including cannabis products, because of the potential harm to the heart, lungs and blood vessels. Guidance released in 2020 pointed to studies that found heart rhythm abnormalities, such as tachycardia and atrial fibrillation, could occur within an hour after weed containing THC was smoked. The 55 participants in the study were divided into three groups: people who smoked (not vaped) marijuana three or more times a week for at least a year, people who consumed THC edibles at least three times a week for at least a year, and nonusers. None of the 18- to 50-year-old people in the study were tobacco smokers or vapers, and all had little exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. Researchers performed an ultrasound on the major artery in the upper right arm in each person, then applied an extremely tight blood pressure cuff for five minutes. After the cuff was removed, the artery was rescanned to see how well it had dilated, or widened, to handle the increased flow of blood, a process that needs the release of nitric oxide to occur. Damage to the endothelial cells that regulate dilation was related to the dose, according to the study. Study participants who used more marijuana had a greater risk of damage to blood vessels that carry oxygen to the body's organs. 'Higher cannabis use — whether smoked or ingested — is associated with poorer vascular function, highlighting the cardiovascular risks that increase with higher potency and frequency of use,' Mohammadi said. Additional tests of the neck and thigh checked the stiffness of each person's blood pressure walls. Compared with people who never used marijuana, cannabis users didn't appear to have additional stiffness of the walls of blood vessels, the study found. A separate analysis added blood serum from cannabis smokers and edible users to commercially purchased cultures of endothelial cell in the laboratory. Blood from people who used edibles laced with THC didn't appear to harm the cells — they continued to produce adequate nitric oxide. However, the endothelial cells incubated in serum from marijuana smokers released 27% less nitric oxide than those treated with blood from nonsmokers. That evidence is similar to what is found in tobacco, Springer said, pointing to a prior study by his team showing endothelial cells incubated in serum from tobacco smokers released 39% less nitric oxide than nonsmokers. 'The observations that marijuana smokers and THC users each have poor vascular function might make people conclude that the THC is responsible for all of this and the smoke is irrelevant,' Springer said. That would be an ill-advised conclusion, according to Springer, as there are reasons to believe that marijuana smoke itself is as responsible as THC for the damage to blood vessels. 'Rats exposed to marijuana smoke with no cannabinoids at all also had vascular and cardiac impairment, plus tobacco smoke is known to cause heart disease and it has no THC,' Springer said. 'So you do yourself no favors by switching from smoking tobacco to marijuana. Smoking marijuana just gives you a double hit — the smoke and the THC,' he said. As for marijuana edibles, teas, tinctures and the like? 'In people, there's like a Goldilocks zone for everything — too much doesn't do right, too little doesn't do right, but just right does fine,' Freeman said. 'We need further investigations to see if there is a Goldilocks zone to be found.'
